1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composite body obtained by combining and bonding a sintered metal body and a sintered ceramic body and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of composite bodies obtained by bonding sintered ceramic bodies with metal bodies as mechanical parts providing high wear-resistance has been the subject of recent study. In the manufacture of such composite bodies, the ceramic and metal bodies must be firmly bonded. Conventional methods of bonding ceramic and metal bodies include thermal insertion, diffusion bonding, and soldering. Since the bonding between the ceramic and metal bodies is weak in these conventional methods, the finished composite bodies have low reliability. In addition, these processes are complex and expensive in terms of production.
Ishida et al. describe a bonding method in Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 59-205406. In this method, a metal ring-shaped body is obtained after pre-forming a metal powder. A sintered ceramic body is fitted in the metal body and the assembly is sintered. In the cooling step after sintering, the sintered metal body contracts and compresses the ceramic body. This method is an example of manufacturing a composite body by thermal insertion and therefore features the problems discussed above.